Late Popoola, A sympathiser with the deceased wife, Modupe (right)Dec 25, 2012 – Injustice: LASTMA Officers Killed Bus Driver In Lagos, 2 Officials Beat Man To DeathA commercial bus driver, Isaac Popoola, on Monday died after being allegedly assaulted by two officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority inthe Oshodi area of the state .The bus conductor, Aremu Salawu, who witnessed the incident, said the LASTMA officials,Adesanya Olatunde and Oludele Ogunrinde, assaulted Popoola at about 6.30am around Brown Bus Stop resulting in his death.He said the deceased’s bus with number plate, XL166SNK, conveying 17 passengers from Igando/Isheri was approaching Brown Junction when a LASTMA pick-up van crossed the bus.The leader of the LASTMA officials, according to Salawu, ordered twoof his men to impound the vehicleand take it to the agency’s office.Salawu, who narrated the incident to one of our correspondents on the premisesof the police Area F Command, alleged that Olatunde hit Salawu’s head against the steering and the door frame of the bus many times before he died.He said Popoola, 54, was tussling for the steering with the LASTMA official, who resorted to using themetallic head of the seat belt to hit the driver’s head in an attemptto forcibly take over the bus.Salawu said, “Baba (Popoola) held on to the steering asking what his offence was. But the LASTMA man (Olatunde) said it was his commander that ordered him to seize the bus.“When Baba refused to leave the steering, the LASTMA man started hitting Popoola’s head against thesteering and the door frame. He did this so many times, until he was unable to talk again.“I then rushed to Mosafejo Police Station where I made a statement and people who were watching the scenario were able to apprehend one of the LASTMA men (Olatunde). They brought him to the police station before we were transferred to to Area F .“They did not tell him (driver) what his offence was because no passenger alighted from our bus at a wrong point and he used his seat belt.”As at 4pm when one of our correspondents left the Area F Command, Salawu’s body was still lying in the bus.It was observed that there were no bruises on the head of the deceased.The 50-year-old wife of the deceased, Modupe, and his son, Ibukunoluwa, a graduate of Accounting from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, along with other sympathisers were also on the premises of the commandIbukunoluwa, who spoke with one of our correspondents, said he had just graduated and awaiting his call-up for the B Batch of the National Youth Service Corps in February 2013.He said his father left their house at 16, Ojo Ogundana Crescent, Off Jimoh Akinremi, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, early in the morning of Monday.“I can’t believe I don’t have a father again. My father left home very early this morning, only for us to be informed by his mechanic few hours later that he had died,” Ibukunoluwa said.The management of LASTMA hashowever dissociated itself from the incident.A statement signed by the General Manager of the agency, Babatunde Edu, stated the errant officials acted contrary tothe agency’s operational guidelines.Edu said Olatunde was identified by the agency’s Provost Marshall and handed over to the police while Ogunrinde who was reported to be off duty as at the time of the incident was still at large.He stated that the officials were inthe area to carry out illegal operation.“The arrested suspect (Olatunde) has been handed over to Mosafejo Police Station and eventually transferred to Akinpelu Police Station for further investigation; while effort is on to arrest other suspect (Ogunrinde),” Edu said.[PUNCH]

@olabukola,God wil punish u for u to hav come out and debunk dis sad stories.I am closer to the victim and i knw d pains the whole family is passing thru right nw.I think fashola is watching while lagosians are dying like chicken in d hands of lastma.No problem.

He said Popoola, 54, was tussling for the steering with the LASTMA official, who resorted to using themetallic head of the seat belt to hit the driver’s head in an attemptto forcibly take over the bus.

it is easy to criticize, May the soul of the driver RIP, but why evade arrest from a law enforcement agency ?, can he do that with a police man ?. Those LASTMA take laws in to their hands most times simply because motorists rarely respects them, i think it is high time they are given guns possibly with rubber bullets.

I don't envy those doing the LASTMA jobs. I am a realist, how do you enforce arrest with a stubborn driver ?, if not with force. I saw an incident last week, where a huge driver fought vigorously with FRSC team in a bid to evade arrest and tried in a road site court.

@ all, Lastma does not have the right to arrest anyone. Its not in their statute, the most they can do is to impound you, possibly take a picture of the erring driver and get a policeman to institute the arrest.

American trainers ko puerto rican gangsters ni. What else do you expect from people who were trained by your tyranical boss ? When you see something wrong admit that its wrong you stupid fool I just can't imagine what you would have said if this had happened in a pdp state. Your oga Fashola is a tyranical dictator I'm can't even wonder the relevant cash he's paying you for your stupidity. The great Fela sang something about 'suffering and smiling' now I know what you people are going thru. Don't get me wrong I'm a surulere guy so you can't deceive people by saying I'm not a lagos based individual. Even Timariv in Rivers state hasn't killed anybody till date.

I noticed that the victim was never taken to the hospital. His body was still at the police station as at evening!The man may have never died, he could have been in deep coma or unconscious with very weak pulse.Only God knows the number of people that die as a result of negligence in accident scene.The truck driver I make use of his truck to convey •̸Ϟ•̸y product had an accident and he said they had already covered him with cloth and pronounced dead but for an observant on looker that lifted the cloth and told them he was still alive!I wonder why untrained medical person would conclude someone is dead at accident scene.

Welder: @ all, Lastma does not have the right to arrest anyone. Its not in their statute, the most they can do is to impound you, possibly take a picture of the erring driver and get a policeman to institute the arrest.

What is the meaning of "impound you "

It is easier said than done my bro. They wanted to seize his vehicle (Lastma could be right or wrong), but he resisted, it is an unfortunate incident

Lagos is not london, where you take pictures of an offender and fish him/her out at the snap of a finger.

Those Lastma guys need to be armed with a disabling weapon e.g tasers or rubber bullets.

Lastma also need a new re-orientation to treat motorists with greater respect, as respect is reciprocal.

it is easy to criticize, May the soul of the driver RIP, but why evade arrest from a law enforcement agency ?, can he do that with a police man ?. Those LASTMA take laws in to their hands most times simply because motorists rarely respects them, i think it is high time they are given guns possibly with rubber bullets.

I don't envy those doing the LASTMA jobs. I am a realist, how do you enforce arrest with a stubborn driver ?, if not with force. I saw an incident last week, where a huge driver fought vigorously with FRSC team in a bid to evade arrest and tried in a road site court.

How about taking down the vehicle number and impound it later? It's really sad how low we value lives in this country.

How about taking down the vehicle number and impound it later? It's reality sad how low we value lives in this country.

thank you o jare better person. Fashola's lapdogs on nairaland are always talking about civilized societies as if in those societies an outfit like lastma that is little more than a glorified boys scouts outfit will have the effrontery to arrest anybody. Even the police will get your licence plate number and send your ticket fine to your company or residential address. If una neva trave before just talk so. Fashola just has touts on the streets of lagos and nairaland spouting trash.

I am not in anyway encouraging what happened, those guys must be fished out and prosecuted.

When two adults are involved in a brawl, unfortunate incidents like this can happen.

I have heard cases of two people involved in a fight, a simple push from one to the other,results to a manslaughter.

They were not involved in a fight. The driver held on to his steering, the story did not say that he fought back.Stop supporting evil, if it were your family member will you also be standing by this callousness.INJUSTICE TO ONE IS INJUSTICE TO ALL